


The End

by TwilightDweller



Series: Cinders to Ashes [4]
Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, Flashbacks, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Telepathic Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27872673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightDweller/pseuds/TwilightDweller
Summary: The broken commander returns to help bury a loved one after the crushing defeat at the hands of an elder dragon.Based on the living world chapter of the same name.
Relationships: Trahearne/Female Player Character (Guild Wars), implied
Series: Cinders to Ashes [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025773
Kudos: 4





	The End

The pain was still ringing through her heart when she noticed a small bird perched on the windowsill. She watched it peck at the glass from her chair where she had sat unmoving for the last few days. The little bird seemed intent on getting her attention and would tap the glass every now and then, almost like it was begging to be let in. But the young woman wouldn't move from her perch, her heart was too broken and she preferred to live out what little time she had left in this doomed world here in the darkness.

‘ _open the window’_

A voice nagged in the back of her mind.

_‘why would I do that, the breeze will shuffle my papers’_

Tears pricked her eyes and she covered her ears trying to block the sound out.

‘ _because there is a bird, it wants your attention’_

_‘the little bird can't have it, my attention is elsewhere’_

_‘then I shall open the window Trahearne, hold your studies’_

_‘bah! Blast it, my papers are everywhere now’_

She looked up at the window, tears rolling down her cheeks, and she placed a foot tentatively on the ground.

_‘stop, stop worrying about those and look at this, the little bird had a letter for you’_

_‘this...this is just what I needed!‘_

_‘from now on Trahearne I shall send you letters by bird so you will have a reason to see the sun occasionally’_

With shaky steps she approached the window and hesitantly reached for the latch, the small bird waiting patiently for her.

_‘then I shall do the same, when I go to Orr once more, expect my letters and know I send my love with every one’_

She opened the window letting in a soft breeze. The dust and old papers went skittering about, and light filtered into the room caressing the woman's cheeks.

The small bird chirped and hopped over to her, a small letter sat on the sill and she reached for it slowly.

_It's not from him. And there never will be another from him._

She stared blankly at the letter for a while, before she forced herself to read it, before crumpling it in her hand and letting it fall to the sill. The little bird watched her innocently, waiting. She looked at the small thing and stroked its plumage.

“Tell Trahearne...thank you, for the sunlight.”

At her words the small bird flew away, disappearing over buildings to deliver an impossible message.

She turned back into the dusty room and wiped her tears from her face and headed to the door, careful not to disturb the papers on the ground. But she hesitated once more, her hand on the knob. 

“Perhaps I will see you sooner than I thought.” She whispered before leaving the small dusty room full of her memories of days gone by, and headed toward a doomed future.

____

She walked through the ruins of what was their last hope, the memories of their failure still fresh in her head. The assault on Kralkatorrik, the destruction of the forge, and the death of… the young woman descended farther into the depths, her steps careful but heavy. 

She bore no weapon nor armor as she walked through the desolate caverns, carved out from the branded assault. The fight in her was left, laid at the feet of the deceased with the rest of her gear.

Down farther she descended until the stairs gave way to smooth cavern floor, until at last she was at the heart of all the destruction. The silence of the cavern was disrupted by the murmurs of mourners that grew in proximity until she was surrounded by them. 

She didn't bother to glance up when those murmurs turned to voices, and those voices addressed her, she walked on by until she finally made it to her destination.

The young woman stood there before the source of her woe, the others present tried to address her but their voices fell on deaf ears. All but one.

“Commander I didn't think you would come.” 

Her eyes fell to the woman kneeling beside her, a woman whom she owed so much. 

“She deserves a proper funeral.” her voice was broken and raspy. 

“The others tried to reach you several times but you turned off your communicator.”

“I was waiting for the end.”

“Alone?”

“She was all I had left, I wanted to mourn in peace.”

“Commander” the woman beside her stood up and pulled her into an embrace. “You needn't mourn alone.”

“You should all return to your families. Spend what little time there is left, with them” 

“Commander, you are our family.” a strong voice sounded behind her.

“Yea, so we are staying with you. If the end comes then we face it together.” an almost childlike voice told her. 

The young woman leaned into the embrace and let her tears fall and let herself be held. When her tears abated she pulled away and wiped her eyes. 

"Thank you...everyone" 

"You're welcome commander." The pale sylvari spoke before turning back toward the body before them. "Now we should tend to her. It...hurts to see her like this." Her voice broke and she reached for the blighted crystals that impaled the corpse. 

"Let me" 

Together the young women pulled the crystals from their lost one, letting them fall to the cave floor where they shattered, one by one. 

As they worked, a song slowly resonated through the dim cave, echoing and reverberating through the crystalline structures around them. 

"We offer one last song to the scion. May it help guide her to the Mists."

Tears pricked at the commander's eyes as she listened, a hand covered hers as she grasped the last spear. 

"Together."

She nodded and gripped the offending thorn that had pierced not only the scions heart but hers and the pale sylvari's heart as well. With their combined sorrow they removed it, sending it clattering to the floor, the fractaled remains scattering about their feet. 

"Oh commander!" The woman beside her cried out in sorrow and clung to her, not bearing to look at the wounded corpse any longer, weeping into her shoulder. 

"I know Caithe...I know" the commander wrapped her arms around the woman's shoulders and stared at their child. Her heart aching as she listened to the zephyrite's song echo around them.

As the song went on her chest ached and the woman in her arms stilled. "Caithe?" 

Suddenly she felt a soft, familiar, pulse in her heart and her head shot up to look at Aurene. In the dim light of the cave it looked as if the wee dragons body glowed and the soft pulse got stronger.

"Commander do you feel-?"

"Look!" The commander shook Caithe as the shimmer got brighter and brighter until the light was blinding and engulfed the people present, forcing them to cover their eyes. The zephyrite song abruptly ended and was replaced with confused gasps.

The commander and caithe wept anew when the light faded and they bore witness to the sight before them. 

"Aurene!" 

They fell to their knees before their reborn child, hugging her to them. Not caring how, or why it happened, just that it did. Their hearts beating as one, once again.

"How can this be?"

"Don't question it Taimi."

"Brahms right, all that matters is that she's alive. Which means-"

"That we have another chance to take down Kralkatorrik!"

"But we failed once, what makes anyone believe that we can win this time?"

"Because he's wounded."

All commotion stopped and everyone was now staring in one direction. At Aurene.

"Did Aurene just talk?"

"She can do that?"

"Since when?"

"She came back from the dead and that's all you care about?"

"Enough!"

The cave grew silent once again and all eyes fell to the commander, who'd risen to her feet. A fire had returned to her eyes that was thought to be extinguished by the previous defeat. But this time it flared with new fury.

“We have one chance left to end this, one final attempt to set things right before the world falls about our ears.” 

The commander looked at Aurene with new hope, but fear was still present behind it. A fear that she would lose all over again. The losses would be higher this time if they didn't win. And that spurred her onward. 

“Let's take the fight to Kralkatorik! And this time…” She took a deep breath and rested her hand on Aurene’s neck, drawing strength from her, the plan forming between them.

“We Win.”

**Author's Note:**

> Its not necessary knowledge but i was greatly influenced to write these after reading a series of work on fanfiction.net almost nine years ago. Those peices of work influenced my writing style so much. I decided someday i would make something as awsome as that and share it too. For anyone interested they are by the author pingpong. Its the Ai sisterhood series.


End file.
